I tell my students that "in case its Raining or Gale Force Winds at class time, we will meet at the SB Museum of Art. This day was very close to those scenarios in that it was sprinkling and gusting winds at class time. However, I chose to go ahead with the plein air class and demonstration.

The class was held at Lake Los Carneros in Goleta. I found a spot to paint slightly out of the wind, and painted a little 8x10 painting for the demonstration. I used the drawing and extracting technique where I had a couple of neutrals on my palette which I drew from to mix my colors to a certain harmony. All colors on the painting were influenced by those neutrals. The painting had a harmonious feeling as a result.

Twice during the demo it started to rain, and the wind buffeted more than a few times. I am glad we came out to paint because in my opinion, it develops character: when forcing yourself to paint in adverse conditions, it makes one feel alive!